Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that hit Asia forced a major reappraisal of the old model of government-business alliances and the management by the public of private risks. In Korea this meant an evolution of the development paradigm.
In a controversial move South Korea's government has asked textbook publishers not to comply with calls to eliminate examples of evolution in science books for high school students. This includes the evidence supporting the evolution of horses and the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A group of creationists in South Korea has successfully convinced textbook publishers to exclude evidence of evolution from high school science texts. The Society for Textbook Revise, an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research that aims to cleanse biology textbooks of "atheist materialism," was behind the move. The STR claims that this kind of materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students, and could lead to their eventual loss of faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed concerns when the STR campaign made headlines. In a letter addressed to the editor of Nature, evolutionary biologist Jae Choe from Ewha Womans University in Seoul complained that South Korea had given in to religious prejudice. His colleagues backed him from around the country, who formed a group called Evolution Korea to organize an anti-textbook petition.
에볼루션 코리아 are concerned that the STR will spread to other parts around the world, where the belief in creationism has been increasing. The letter to Nature warned of the anti-evolution campaign increasing pressure on textbook revisions, particularly in countries with large Christian and Muslim populations.
The South Korean culture is particularly strong for the debate on evolution. 26 percent of South Koreans are part of a religious community with the majority of them practicing Christianity or Buddhism. Many Koreans also adhere to Ch'ondogyo - an ideology based on Confucian principles that emphasizes social harmony, individual self-cultivation, and self-respect. Ch'ondogyo is a belief system that teaches that humans are in a relationship with Hanulnim, the God of the Sun, and that heavenly blessings can be obtained through the good deeds of a person.
All of this has created a fertile ground. Numerous studies have revealed that students with a religious background are more hesitant about learning about evolution than students without religion. The underlying causes are not obvious. One reason is that students with religious beliefs tend to be as well-versed in scientific concepts and theories, which makes them more susceptible to the influence of creationists. Another factor could be that students with a religious background may view evolution as a concept that is atheistic, making them less comfortable.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent times scientists have been concerned about the anti-evolution agenda in schools. A survey conducted in 2009 revealed that over 40 percent of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong and that believing in it could be in conflict with their convictions about religion. Many scientists believe that, despite the popularity of creationism, the best way to combat this movement is to educate the public about the evidence for evolution.
Scientists are responsible for teaching their students science including the theory of evolution. They should also inform the public about the process of science and how knowledge from science is gathered and confirmed. They should explain how theories of science are often challenged and modified. However, misunderstandings about the nature of research conducted by scientists often cause people to believe that evolution is not real.
For instance, many people confuse the term "theory" with the common meaning of the word - a guess or a guess. In the realm of science theories are rigorously tested and verified with evidence. A theory that is repeatedly tested and observed becomes a scientific principal.
The debate about evolution theory is an excellent opportunity to discuss both the importance of the scientific method and its limitations. It is crucial that people understand that science does not answer questions about the purpose of life or meaning, but provides a mechanism for living things to grow and evolve.
Moreover, a well-rounded education must include exposure to the vast majority of scientific fields that include evolutionary biology. This is crucial because the jobs that people have and the decisions they make require a knowledge of how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have changed over time. A recent study that predicted the adults' view of the consensus on this issue found that those who had higher levels of education and knowledge of science were more likely to believe that there is a broad agreement among scientists about human evolution. The people with more religious beliefs and have less science knowledge are more likely to disapprove. It is essential that educators insist on understanding the general consensus on this issue to ensure that people have a solid basis for making informed decisions about their health care, energy usage and other policy issues.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a cousin of the mainstream evolutionary theory. It focuses on the ways that humans and other species learn from each other. Researchers in this area use explanatory tools and investigative models that are adapted from evolutionary theorists and go back to human prehistory to find the origins of culture.
This approach also acknowledges the difference between cultural and biological traits. Cultural traits can be acquired gradually while biological traits are mostly inherited at the same time (in sexual species, at fertilization). The acquisition of one cultural characteristic can influence the development and growth of another.
In Korea for instance the introduction of Western fashion elements in the late 19th century and early 20th century was a result of a complicated sequence of events. One of the most significant was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces that introduced Western clothing and hairstyles.
When Japan quit Korea in the 1930s, some of these changes began to reverse. By the end World War II, Korea was once again united but this time under Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is a vibrant economic and political power. Despite the recent financial crisis the economy of Korea has been growing consistently over the last decade. It is anticipated to continue to grow in the near future.
However, the current administration faces numerous challenges. One of the most serious is its inability to develop a coherent policy to deal with the economic crisis. The crisis has revealed weaknesses of the country's policies, especially its over-reliance on foreign investment and exports that may not last.
The financial crisis has shaken the confidence of investors. As a result, the government must reconsider its approach and find ways to increase domestic demand. To ensure a stable economic climate the government needs to overhaul its incentive and monitoring systems, as well as discipline and monitoring. This chapter presents several scenarios on how the Korean economy might develop post-crisis.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for teachers of evolution lies in how to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for various ages and stages of development. Teachers must, for example be aware of the religious diversity in their classrooms and create a welcoming environment where students of both secular and religious beliefs are comfortable. Teachers must also be aware of the most common misconceptions about evolution and how to deal with them in their classrooms. Teachers should also have quick access to the numerous resources that can be used to teach evolution.
In this regard, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation played an important role in bringing evolutionary researchers and educators from a variety of sectors to discuss the best methods of teaching about Evolution. Participants included representatives from scientific societies as well as educational research, officials of government funding agencies as well as curriculum designers. The convergence of different stakeholders led to the development of a set of shared recommendations that will serve as the basis for any future actions.
It is essential to incorporate evolution in all science curricula at every level. To achieve this, the National Science Education Standards (NRC) require that evolution be taught in an integrated manner across all sciences with a progression of ideas that are developmentally appropriate. A new publication from the NRC provides guidance for schools on how to integrate evolution into the life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have proven that a more comprehensive presentation of evolution is linked to greater student understanding and belief in evolution. However, estimating causal effects in the classroom is difficult because school curriculums are not assigned randomly and evolve over time as a result of the predetermined timeframe of gubernatorial elections as well as appointments to the state board of education. To overcome this limitation I use a longitudinal data set that gives me to control the effects of years and states fixed as well as individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers regarding evolutionary theory.
Teachers who are more comfortable teaching evolution also report fewer internal barriers. This is in line with the idea that more confident faculty are less likely to avoid teaching about evolution in the classroom. They may also be more inclined to employ strategies such as the reconciliatory method which is used to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.